


you're like lightning in a bottle

by mnibus



Category: Nerve (2016), Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: F/M, M/M, Nerve AU, adam's father - Freeform, will add more tags as it goes along!!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-12-01 01:45:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11475999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnibus/pseuds/mnibus
Summary: There is a wash of flashing red light from the Nerve sign as he stares at it for a long minute before clicking PLAYER. He sets the phone down face-up on the table before sliding back under the truck.WAITING FOR DARE.OR, alternatively, the Nerve AU you never knew you wanted!





	you're like lightning in a bottle

Adam Parrish has never been big on taking risks. Blue Sargent, his best friend, has veins that run with audacity. If it meant something to her, she had already taken the risk. In every way, she is unapologetically herself. The unlikely pair is tucked away in a corner at the back of Nino’s. Adam scribbling out notes for his Latin homework, Blue Sargent messing around on her phone having just finished her shift. Adam’s slouch straightens when his phone chirps. He picks it up and wipes off the table’s sticky residue. His lips downturn when he sees Blue’s name, and he shoots her a look.

“Hey!” she protests, “Just open the link!”

There is a brief silence accompanied by Adam’s frown and, “What the hell is Nerve?”

“You can play dares to earn cash, or pay to watch others play dares.” She grins with a slightly manic look. “We should play! Something to have a little fun and earn some extra cash!”

“Is this even legal?”

Blue lets out a long sigh, “C’mon, Adam, you never take any risks!”

“No, I’m not playing.”

“Whatever, I’m going to play, whether you are or not.”

“Blue, you don’t even know if it’s safe!”

“As safe as life,” she says and presses the PLAYER button. Against his best interest, Adam leans in to see her phone as it loads.

 

_Waiting for dare._

_Flirt with the Aglionby Boy in the opposite corner._

_$100_

 

Blue scoffs loudly, but she turns to the opposite corner. It is immediately clear who the game means. Tad Carruthers is sprawled across a booth, if possible looking more annoying than usual. Even if he was not the topic, he is the type of person to insert himself into a conversation. Blue pushes her phone into Adam’s hands despite his protests, “Blue, I really think this is a bad idea.”

“It could be worse. Just record it, so I get the dare,” she says, mumbling under her breath and pushing herself from the table.

With Adam recording, Blue walks over and plops herself down on Tad’s knee, looking small in comparison to his sprawl. Tad perks with interest as she places her hand on his shoulder and says with practiced interest, “Are you from Tennessee?” She smiles wildly, “Because you’re the only ten I see.” She jumps up and winks as Tad catcalls. When she’s faced back towards Adam, she rolls her eyes and gives the finger, but

 

_Dare complete._

 

She collapses back into the booth across from Adam and grabs for her phone. “OMG! It really deposited $100 into my account.” This is promptly shown to Adam who furrows his brows. Blue takes the phone back and records, “If your watching this, my name is Blue Sargent, and I’m here to win.” The screen lights up with hearts and comments.

Adam lets out a long sigh. “I have to head to work,” he pauses and fixes a serious look at Blue, “Please be careful.”

“I’m nothing if not sensible,” she quips back.

Adam swings his hastily stuffed backpack onto his back as he says, “I would hope for nothing less,” and walks out the door, the sound of the store’s bell chiming behind him. He grabs his bike from where it’s leaning against the alley wall beside Nino’s. His knuckles turn white from his grip on the handlebars as he pedals to Boyd’s.

 

* * *

 

Night has fallen outside the dimly lit garage, but the air is still sticky with the Virginian August heat. Adam can feel the sweat where he has wrapped his coveralls around his waist. He is underneath the Ford truck that he is supposed to be working on, but his mind just keeps running over that game. Nerve. Maybe he doesn’t take enough risks, but it’s kept him alive this far.

Adam’s phone buzzes on the table in the corner of the shop. He closes his eyes, guessing who would be calling him this late. By the time he pushes himself out from under the truck, the phone has stopped buzzing. When he picks it up, there is a voicemail from the father. He listens long enough to hear his father calling him a worthless piece of shit, before locking the screen and placing the phone back on the table. Though there is still work to be done, he hesitates. Swiping past the lock screen of Blue and him, he navigates to the link she had sent him earlier. There is a wash of flashing red light from the Nerve sign as he stares at it for a long minute before clicking PLAYER. He sets the phone down face-up on the table before sliding back under the truck.

_Waiting for dare._

 

**Author's Note:**

> !!! it's been a while since i've written fanfiction but i was super inspired by @adamsrcnan on tumblr. apologies if this is super ooc (especially blue, yike!) but expect the next (longer) chapter sometime in the next week!


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